Month: June 2013

Director Steven Spielberg once said, “With animation, fantasy is your friend.” Our animated friends in attendance at “Monsters University” had another fantastic week at the movies, coming in #1 at the domestic box office with $46.2 million. Newcomers Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy were living the dream and feeling “The Heat” at the #2 spot with a cool $40 million. “World War Z” found the undead roaming toward the lively #3 land with $29.8 million. Also new in town, Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx faced presidential peril within the “White House Down” a dark movie aisle, finding both freedom and disappointment at #4 with $25.7 million. The “Man of Steel” continued to impress his fellow friendly yet inferior characters from the respectable, safe location of #5 with $20.8 million.
Comedy and colorful, computer-animated cuties formed the coolest hangout at the local multiplex this weekend, shaking hands with the President and other powerful men. The ladies, however, nearly took the lead, declaring peace in our proud (movie) nation while offering an alternative to male-driven movies. With high temperatures and hot films predicted all summer long, the coolest view is coming from the big screen!
From seaside days to starry nights, may you find a break from reality thanks to blockbuster entertainment and a bunch of imaginative friends…

Ready for a weekend of politics, peril and play, filled with roaming zombies, colorful cuties and comedic crime fighters (including those not dressed in superhero attire?) School’s out despite the well-formed line to get into “Monsters University,” last week’s #1 film. Will the scare students taking over the big screen continue their round of animated terror? Can they stand “The Heat” generated from the star power of Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy? The “White House Down” the movie theater block is racing toward first place (and homeland security), determined to beat those animated animals on scare duty with Channing Tatum charming weak-stomached audiences freaked out by the zombie-inhabiting “World War Z.” “The Man of Steel” continues to demonstrate his superhero strength, traveling faster than a speeding bullet while finding gold at the box-office finish line.
Talk about an eclectic assortment of entertainment! Frightening but family-friendly monsters cross paths with easy-on-the-eyes Tatum and Pitt, who are busy competing with tough-as-nails law abiders Bullock and McCarthy, with Superman following the “pretty” pack at a safe distance. Who needs a summer getaway when a trip to the local multiplex is sure to provide the ultimate escape?
From seaside days to starry nights, a weekend filled with Heat, (harmless) horror and humor is finally here!

We’re less than a week into the Summer of 2013; has “The Heat” gotten to you yet? You could always take cool cover in the “White House Down” the block, which may be filled with dangerous villains performing dastardly deeds, but is sure to be air conditioned. Or you can take a trip to the closest climate-controlled movie theater (where Channing Tatum is both cool and hot). Meanwhile, calm, cool and collected Jason Statham seeks “Redemption” from the military as well as movie lovers, promising entertainment as well as emancipation. Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy buddy up, redeeming themselves while fighting crime and causing all kinds of comedic chaos. Happily, our new additions to the summer roster are all heroes in their own right (take that, Clark Kent!)
“I’m So Excited” that Summer Blockbusters are arriving quicker than even Clark and his character cohorts could have imagined! No matter how hot it gets OUTSIDE, things are definitely heating up inside.
With July just over the horizon, we can expect more animation and action, as sequels and the stars align, with sidekicks and heroes of the masked-man kind. There’s no better time to chill out and no better place to be than by that larger-than-life screen…

Science fiction author George R.R. Martin once remarked, “There are no heroes… in life, the monsters win.” What if those monsters are cute and colorful (and heroes in their own minds?) Are they worthy of the title of winner? In the land of imagination, they most certainly are! The animated ogres showed up at “Monsters University,” determined to master the art of scaring while earning a winning first-place debut this weekend with $82 million at the domestic box office (making it Pixar’s 2nd highest grossing movie ever, behind 2010’s “Toy Story 3”). Zombies, with an assist from human/hero Brad Pitt, wandered the earth all the way to #2 with $66 million in lively cash. Everyone’s favorite summer hero, “The Man of Steel,” heroically followed at #3 with $41.2 million. “This is the End” began the weekend party as well as the trip to the #4 spot with $13 million. “Now You See Me” heading to the magical #5 arena with $7.9 million.
Magicians, monsters and men of steel traded lively anecdotes with zombies and party crashers this weekend as they celebrated summer at the movies. Spotted ATTEMPTING to crash the celebration were a few future summer characters of the comedic variety (hello, Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy!) ready to bring “The Heat” next weekend to a movie theater near you.
From seaside days to starry nights, may the “monsters” invading your week be of the cute, cuddly, heroic kind…

Will the “Man of Steel” continue to make history and millions of box-office bucks? Can the students at “Monsters University” and their legion of little (and big) fans compete with the blue-clad legend?
Summer has officially arrived and with it the need to “Purge” moviegoers of any lingering, lackluster films. Following last week’s latest Superman rendition, where will the motion-picture world take us? Apparently one stop on our tour is a trip back in animated time, when Mike and Sully were scare competitors as opposed to the best of friends. Speaking of friends, “This is the End” of friendless Hollywood nights for our big-screen stars. Will the company consisting of James Franco, Seth Rogen (who also co-wrote the script) and depraved crew continue to bring the revelry to the box office? And what about those mysterious, money-stealing magicians continually boasting “Now You See Me?” Perhaps we WON’T be seeing them among the sought-after Top Five. It also may be time the “Fast & Furious 6” fellows fly past packed movie theaters. Has their moment at the fastest party in town come to an end?
Fortunately, the party never ends along the movie circuit, where even the most discerning viewer is sure to find something of entertaining value.
From seaside days to starry nights, may the festivities find a welcomed place in your world this weekend…

Mike and Sully, at their animated, “scary” best, will be coming to a university, I mean theater, near you this weekend, as the lively creatures take a trip back in colorful time to show us where their monster-size friendship began. School may be out, but the folks bringing us “Monsters University” are betting all their smarts on school-age kids (as well as kid-at-heart adults) taking the prequel to the top of the box office charts. They’ll have some clever competition thanks to the oh-so-smart Brad Pitt, circling the globe for the antidote for a deadly virus (and a cure for weak ticket sales for big budget films). He ultimately arrives at the local multiplex, where “World War Z” has erupted. Fortunately, the “Man of Steel” is still around, breaking box-office records while rescuing monsters of the “undead” and the kiddie kind.
Well, we can’t say movie studios aren’t giving us a range of choices this first official summer weekend!
If you’re not in the mood for animation or infestation, and the hero du jour doesn’t conquer your entertainment woes, there’s still a bit of magic to be found courtesy of the illusive crew still shouting “Now You See Me” as they “Purge” movie theaters of uninspiring films (for those who can keep up with their “Fast & Furious 6” speed).
Think “This is the End” of Hollywood hits? No worries. Also, no need to break the speed limit on your way to your neighborhood movie theater. The most sultry of seasons promises to deliver blockbuster films (and indie darlings) all summer long…

Will Rogers believed, “Being a hero is about the shortest-lived profession on earth.” Tell that to the “Man of Steel,” whose Superman alter-ego celebrates not only a 75-year history of heroics, but also holds the honor of being #1 at the domestic box office this weekend with a record-breaking $113 million (making it the all-time top-opening film in June). Also pretty popular among the movie merrymakers were a group of Hollywood revel rousers declaring “This is the End” of parties for one, taking the festivities all the way to #2 with $20.5 million. “Now You See Me” at the #3 spot, disappearing before your eyes with $10.3 million. The “Fast & Furious 6” guys have slowed down in the race, arriving at #4 with $9.4 million. “The Purge” continues to terrorize and tantalize moviegoers, this time from the #5 locale with $8.2 million.
The bad, the brave and the just plain hard to explain were found trading the most imaginative tales this weekend as party planners were purged of their Hollywood sins just in time to officially welcome summer at the movies.
From seaside days to starry nights, may our imaginary heroes have THE longest life at the nearest multiplex…